NEW WAVE REDUX

NEW WAVE REDUX; 'The Soundtrack Of Our Puberty'

Published: March 21, 1993

To the Editor:

I want to thank Ann Powers for reclaiming new wave from the mists of history [ "Here Come the Nerds, Again," March 7 ] . For those of us in the much-maligned 20-something generation, this music was the soundtrack of our puberty. Its icons are imprinted on our memory, and they're hard to shake. If asked to name a singer-songwriter known for wry lyrics that illuminate the torture of personal relationships and the madness of the outside world, Elvis Costello comes to mind before Bob Dylan (although the more broad-minded among us can appreciate both).

Brave explorers like Devo, XTC and the B-52's (when they still had credibility) sailed the treacherous seas between the turgid snoozefest known as 70's rock and today's slick and soulless electronics. They brought punk's energy, simplicity and enthusiasm to middle-class kids in a more digestible form. Is that a crime? I, for one, long for a return to music that's both quirky and catchy. Laugh if you must, but I'm going to put my skinny leather tie back on and pretend that 1980 never ended. KEN MUNCH Brooklyn